1. The Life of Friends
A word you’ve likely heard,
But you’re not sure of its meaning.
You were told, “Don’t hold a grudge,”
Yet a “grudge” isn’t something you’re seeing.
Here’s a tale of a grudge in action
With our dear friend, the duck named Mick.
It started one day in the barnyard
When Benny ran by so quick.
I was waddling from food to pond
When suddenly here comes Benny.
I’m knocked over as he runs past
To catch up with his playmate Jenny.
Out Goes the Grudge
2. Does he stop to see how I’m doing
Or to apologize with an “I’m sorry”?
No, he’s too absorbed in his chase
To notice he’s caused a flurry.
With feathers all twisted and dirty,
I pick myself up while squawking.
I yell across the barnyard,
“Don’t you see who you are knocking?”
Grumbling, I try to carry on,
Preening feathers one after the other.
I follow through with my routine,
But others’ joy I now want to smother.
3. “So what are you happy about, Sally?”
I crank at another in the pond.
“It’s not like life is so cheery,
“Nor of you is anyone that fond.”
I watch my friend’s head droop;
She’d been happy earlier that day.
Her tears soon started to surface,
And now she no longer wanted to play.
4. You see, I was a victim,
But not of Benny’s flurry through the yard.
I was a victim of holding a grudge.
I had fully let down my guard.
A grudge is something that happens
When we feel ill-treated or ill-used.
It sets in when instead of bouncing back
We feel sorry for ourselves and muse.
I should have forgiven Benny,
Whether he had asked for it or not.
Then I would have overcome;
No hurt setting in to cause rot.
Grrrrr
5. Benny hadn’t noticed what happened,
Neither did Jenny as they played.
It wasn’t ill intentioned,
And I wasn’t hurt, only grazed.
But I carried this grudge within me
And it spilled out on those around,
Like on my friend in the duck pond
Who earlier was happy and sound.
Now Sally was also downhearted,
She sulked her way through the whole day.
Sally brought others down with her too
When she fought over a nest in the hay.
I want this
nest so I’m
taking it!
6. It was time to make amends,
And I knew it started with me.
I sought out Benny and Jenny
To settle things between us three.
“I’m sorry for being sulky,”
I apologized to my two hoofed friends.
They looked at me startled and wondering
Why I thought there was something to mend.
“You see,” I said to them explaining,
“Earlier on when you were at play,
“Benny, you knocked me over,
“But ran on with nothing to say.”
7. Now Benny was surprised and apologized,
“I’m very sorry, my dear friend, Mick!
“I should have been slower when passing,
“So you wouldn’t have suffered a kick.”
“You know it wasn’t intentional
“I think you are one swell duck.”
We made up and all was well,
The grudge no longer held me in the muck.
I then went up to Sally,
My dear friend whom I had hurt so.
“I’m sorry, Sally dear, for saying that.
“You’re my closest friend;
I want you to know.”
